How to Keep a Puppy From Stinking

Even the sweetest face can't mask an unpleasant odor.
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Nothing beats puppy kisses, but cuddling up with your new addition isn't much fun if he is harboring an unpleasant scent. Fortunately, there are really only a few things that will cause a puppy to stink, and all are straightforward to treat. An added benefit is that many of the things you can do to treat odor, such as brushing your pup's teeth, are skills that will come in handy later in his life.

Bathe your dog regularly. Many people worry that giving a dog frequent baths will dry his skin out. As long as you use shampoo made for dogs, and are careful to rinse him well, there is no reason you cannot bathe your puppy once a week. This will eliminate many odors and get him accustomed to bathing, which is much easier to do while he is young.

Freshen him up between baths with baking soda. Sprinkle your pup with baking soda and massage it into his skin, brushing out the excess when you are done. The baking soda will neutralize odors and absorb excess coat oils.

Brush your pup's teeth. Use toothpaste made for dog use, which he can swallow without any concerns over an upset stomach. Poor dental hygiene can really make your pup smell bad, in addition to causing health problems.

Clean his ears. Dogs have a uniquely shaped ear canal, which is shaped like an L rather than straight. This can cause problems, particularly with breeds that have dropped, rather than erect, ears.

Clean your dog's ears with a commercially prepared ear cleaning solution and cotton balls, not swabs, at least once a week. Squirt several drops of the ear cleaning solution into your dog's ears. Let the solution soak for a few seconds to soften any build-up, then wipe the ear out with a cotton ball. Only clean the outer part of the ear that you can see. Do not stick cotton swabs, your fingers or anything else into the ear canal.

Visit your vet. If your puppy still stinks after trying all of these solutions, make an appointment to discuss the issue with his vet. There are various medical conditions that can give your puppy an odor, and you may need your vet's help to get to the bottom of this problem. In older dogs, diabetes, kidney disease and impacted anal glands can all cause unpleasant odors, but in a puppy, smells that have a medical cause are most likely the result of a bacterial or yeast infection of the skin or ears. These conditions are easily treated with medicated shampoo or ear wash provided by your vet.

Items You Will Need

  • Dog shampoo
  • Baking soda
  • Tooth brush
  • Toothpaste for dogs
  • Commercial ear cleaner
  • Cotton balls